Photo by Lucas Jackson
Of course, none of this would be possible without the support we’ve had from our partners, employees, neighbors, and officials in Arlington and Virginia, many of whom joined us at Metropolitan Park on the opening day to explore the new space.
“For years, I encouraged Amazon to come to Virginia because I knew it would create jobs and opportunities for the whole Commonwealth—not just Northern Virginia,” said U.S. Senator Mark Warner. “This is a great moment. I look forward to continuing to work with Amazon’s leadership to realize HQ2’s full potential.”
“I remember participating in the announcement in November 2018 that Amazon was coming to Virginia because of our high-quality education system and our talented workforce,” said U.S. Senator Tim Kaine. “I’m excited that this dream is becoming a reality today. Amazon’s choice of Virginia is a validation of our Commonwealth as an innovator and an education state—and sends the message to others that they should choose Virginia too.”
Here are photos showing what it was like at Amazon’s second headquarters on opening day.
Governor Glenn Youngkin, alongside Amazon leaders Candi Castleberry, Brian Huseman, John Schoettler, and Holly Sullivan, cut the ribbon on opening day, marking the official opening of Metropolitan Park, the first phase of Amazon’s HQ2.
Amazon’s Vice President of Public Policy and Community Engagement, Brian Huseman, welcomed guests to the grand opening celebration.
“We are thrilled to call Virginia home,” Huseman said. “We thank the many federal, state, and regional policymakers, economic development officials, and business leaders. Your support and partnership have been invaluable … Virginia is a great place to do business and we are committed to continuing our investments in the HQ2 region and across the Commonwealth.”
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin joined the celebration, sharing his excitement about the opportunities the new integrated development will bring to Arlington’s National Landing neighborhood.
“I want to thank Amazon for your commitment to the community,” said Governor Youngkin. “Donating $160 million to 150+ local nonprofits, community groups, and schools is an extraordinary amount of money. It’s an extraordinary representation of what Amazon stands for. We celebrate this partnership building a better and a brighter future right here in Virginia. The Amazon team is truly engaged fully not just in their business, but in Virginia.”
Christian Dorsey, chair, Arlington County Board, also attended the event and shared his excitement about the new headquarters. “It has been incredibly rewarding to see everything that we thought our partnership could be materialize and deliver transformational change,” Dorsey said. “Congratulations to Amazon, my colleagues and to our entire Arlington community. This is a great moment in our history.”
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